The features aim to combat the opioid crisis.
BY RICHARD NIEVA | SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 12:00 AM PDT
Google on Thursday said it’s adding tools to its Maps app to help people recover from drug addiction. The search giant said it launching a new feature for Google Maps that shows people where to go to attend more than 83,000 recovery meetings, including Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous gatherings. The meetings take place in more than 33,000 locations, such as community centers or churches.
Google Maps is also debuting another tool to show users where they can find Naloxone, a non-prescription drug that can treat overdoses in an emergency situation. People can find the drug if they type “Naloxone near me” or “Narcan near me” into the search bar.
Google said more than 23 million Americans are in recovery and that the company saw an “all-time high” of people searching for recovery treatment on the company’s search engine.
Google built the tools for National Recovery Month, an initiative launched by the US Department of Health and Human Services. The news comes as health professionals and government officials try to figure out how to deal with the opioid epidemic. More than 130 people die each day in the US from opioid overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Meanwhile, the tech industry has been under intense scrutiny over the positive and negative effects its products could have on society. Google has been criticized for its policing of disinformation, data collection practices and abuse on its platforms.
Earlier this year, Google Maps begin listing places on Google Maps where people can discard unused medications. Those places include pharmacies, hospitals and government buildings.
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This article first appeared on C|Net https://www.cnet.com/news/google-maps-adds-tools-to-fight-drug-addiction/